Books!

Calling All Book People!

Reading is Fundamental is partnering up with Scholastic to launch a new program called Book People Unite. The purpose of this program is to create awareness about children’s literacy needs and to try to get more books to the kids who need them most. There are many children today living in poverty and don’t have access to books like other children. This program sounds like it is a great way to help kids experience the joy of receiving new books to spark their interest in reading.

Teaching Non-Traditional Learners

The title of this article caught my attention because I know many students often feel bored in school or think school is just not for them. The article talks about the bestselling author Rebecca Skloot, who felt that she was one of those students who weren’t cut out for school. She was kicked out of preschool for refusing to take naps, and failed her freshman year of high school because she was bored most of the time. Things didn’t turn around for Skloot until she attended the Metropolitan Learning Center. Here, her teachers asked her a big question that ultimately turned her education around, “What do you want to study?”  (Boss, 2012). This seemingly simple question really sparked Skloot’s interest and allowed her to take off. By letting Rebecca to truly think about what she wanted to learn about and find out her true interests she was able to thrive and enjoy school.  This is one way students might become more interested in school, but I’m not sure it would work for all students.

iPad App Aims to Make Lecture Halls More Intimate and Students More Engaged

More and more iPad apps are emerging that can be very beneficial in the classroom. In this article, Perry Samson, a professor at the University of Michigan, created a very interesting app that is designed to make lectures “more intimate.” This app allows students to use their own iPads to take notes, ask and answer questions, and keep students engaged in class. While this was originally created for the professor’s classes, the app can also work very well in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms (pending the technology is available). This app is called LectureTools and can be a very valuable resource in the classroom. There are some excellent features for teachers using this app, as well. “Instructors can present students with interactive activities, including multiple-choice, free response, and image-based questions, and students can respond using their mobile devices, including iPads” (Schaffhauser, 2012). Students are also able to send it questions to the teacher, which will be shown anonymously to the rest of the class and answers will be saved for reference. One part of this app that I really liked is that “a teacher can assess the class’ performance with aggregate or individual student data about participation and correctness for each activity that took place” (Schaffhauser, 2012).  This is a great way for teachers to see how each student is doing on different activities all in one place. This app is free for instructors to use, but a license would be needed to use in the classroom. I’ve blogged about a few different iPad apps and I think this one might interest me the most!

Smart Notebook App

I wrote about a new app for the iPad in a previous post, and I came across another article that talks about another app for iPad users. Smart Technologies will be releasing a new Smart Notebook app that students and teachers can use on iPads. This app will be similar to a Smart Board and students will be able to use Smart Board tools on their own iPads. Students will be able to interact with teachers, open files, edit files, upload pictures, and much more. Smart Technologies states, "With Smart Notebook for iPad 'students and teachers stay on track and save time by being able to work with the same material on both interactive displays and iPads at school or at home'" (Barthold, 2012).

I love the idea of using this app in the classroom! However, I don't currently have access to iPads in my school. As education is turning more towards technology, this app seems like a great way to use some of the technology already used in the classroom. I have a Smart Board in my room that I use on a daily basis, so it would be great if I could incorporate this new app into my classroom!

Resource:
Smart Notebook App Move to iPad. Jim Barthold. THE Journal. 5-21-12. Retrieved 5-21-12.

Blackboard Messages

Check out this article!

We've all been using Blackboard throughout our masters program, and I know many teachers may use them in their own classrooms, as well. Recently, Blackboard came out with an update that can help teachers communicate more with parents. We all know that parents play a large role in their students' education, so this is a great way to help more parents get involved in their children's learning. The new update can help teachers communicate with parents through phone and email and allows teacher to inform parents of assignments, tests, due dates, and more. The principal at Bedichek Middle School said, "Not a week goes by that a parent doesn't stop me and say 'thank you' for the messages they receive directly from teachers. Parents and family members are increasingly becoming more actively engaged in their student's educational experience and we want to do all we can to help them stay connected with us" (Schaffhauser, 2012). Blackboard is not something I use in my classroom, but it may be a good idea to help parents stay connected!

Differentiating Instruction

What Works for Differentiating Instruction in Elementary Schools

This article caught my attention because I always talk about differentiating instruction and look for new ways to do so. It makes sense to teach in a variety of approaches, but the question of how to actually differentiate instruction may be more difficult. We all know students do not learn the exact same ways and we need to use different teaching strategies to make sure our learners are given the best possible instruction. The article gives some suggestions from teachers at Forest Lake Elementary in South Carolina along with advice from Edutopia bloggers. The ideas are split into three sections, which I thought was a great idea: 5 minutes, 5 days, and 5 years. Some of the suggestions that stood out to me for things you can do in 5 minutes were using a KWL chart, providing options to students on how to find information, finding an appropriate video to enhance instruction, and ask students what they'd like to do. Suggestions from the 5 days category that I would use are creating choices for assignments (creating a poem instead of writing an essay), use a workshop approach where students travel to different stations, and allow students to sit in groups or clusters. The last section gave suggestions on things to do in 5 years and some of the ideas I found to stand out were to make a "scaffolding kit" that contains organizers and other resources to help students, collaborate ideas with fellow teachers, and use new technology tools. The article also provided more ideas to help teachers differentiate instruction but those were a few that stood out to me. It is so important to make sure each child is getting the most out of his or her education, and while it may take more planning time on our part, it is worth it!

Nearpod

New App Links Students and Teachers on iPads

This new app, called Nearpod, sounds intriguing if the technology is available. I've enjoyed reading articles about all the advantages and apps of using iPads in the classroom, however it's not feasible for me to use these apps if technology in the classroom is limited! Even so, this article interested me because the app allows teachers to create and use different interactive lessons. The teachers are in charge of controlling the information sent to student devices. One thing that really stood out to me when reading the article is that the teachers "can initiate and collect data from student assessments given after the lesson. The app's reporting tool lets teachers analyze both individual and group achievement" (Noonoo, 2012). I downloaded the teacher version of the app on my iPad to try and understand how this works. It seems pretty cool because the teacher can run an online class right on the iPad as long as the students are logged in to the correct "class." This app would be a great way to engage students in lessons because, let's face it, technology is what our students are interested in! I'm going to play around with the app a bit more to see if I can get a better idea of what it's all about!

5 Tips to Avoid Teacher Burnout

I think this article is pretty interesting because I have seen many "burnt out" teachers lately. Talking with teachers at lunch is often entertaining because the teachers have so many things to say (mainly negative as of late) about their students, lessons plans, assessments, and more. I thought this article had some good suggestions to help teachers from crashing. The first tip is to create lessons that allow the students to take more control of their learning. Instead of the teaching creating new lessons or PowerPoint presentations, Andrew Miller suggests using a myriad of teaching strategies to transform from lecturer to facilitator. The next suggestion Miller offers is to "Go Home!" (2012). Many teacher spend so much time after school planning lessons, grading, and much more. While these things are important to complete, teachers need time for themselves too. Miller states, "There is always something more to do, I know it. But you know what? It can wait!" (2012). It is just as important to take care of yourself as it is your students. The third suggestion is to plan time for yourself and establish boundaries. I know far too many teachers who have been working through their lunches instead of taking a short break. In an effort to stay energized towards the end of the year it is important to make sure you not only plan time for parents, staff, and students, but for yourself too. The fourth suggestion is to connect with other educators. How many times have we heard, 'you don't have to recreate the wheel'? Well, it's true! Teachers can often become burnt out because of the amount of time spent creating new projects and lessons. The last suggestion is to keep a clear mind about what you're assessing. Yes, there are a ton of assessments that need to be given, but trying to do them all at once will drive you crazy! Focusing only on a few things at a time so you don't become overwhelmed. 

As a long term substitute I get to skipped a lot of things, such as professional development and observations, but these are definitely suggestions to keep in mind to make sure your students are getting the most out of their education!

Independent Reading

What Do You Think About Independent Reading?

In this article, the blogger talks about children participating in independent reading and how it may appear to others and students laying around the classroom. When I taught in elementary grades I used the reader's workshop approach to reading instruction. Students looked forward to independent reading time and each weeks students picked new "book nook" spots around the classroom. This was a time for the students to cozy up and read their books anywhere around the classroom. I have subbed in many classrooms where teachers allowed students to move around the room, as well. While I think it is a good idea to have students move around, others disagree. In the article one teacher was quoted as saying, "Sitting and reading isn't the best use of our time; we need to be teaching our students" (Truby, 2012). I definitely disagree with this teacher, especially since I follow a reader's workshop approach. There is time to teach our students how to be good readers, but they also need time to practice and apply the strategies we are teaching them. Independent reading is a great way to help students build their comprehension and vocabulary skills. Students need to have time to practice reading in order to become better readers, so it makes sense to plan time during the day for independent reading! It is important, though, to make sure students stay on task during independent reading time, which is something I've found challenging. There are always a handful of students who seem to stray and need constant reminders to stay on task. Another issue is to make sure students are reading "just right" books and their reading level in order to get the most out of their independent reading time. There are many things to consider when allowing students time to read, but is very beneficial in the reading curriculum. 

Should Students Evaluate Their Teachers?

This article caught my eye because I've often wondered how my students would evaluate me as a teacher. I would like to think they'd only have wonderful things to say about me, of course :) Ben Johnson quoted a few of the evaluations his students wrote which included, "'We need a better instruction that actually knows what he is doing'" (2012). I hope my students wouldn't have things like that to say about me! In this article, Johnson talks about a study done in 10 European countries where students were asked to to explain what they expected from their teachers and how their past teachers rated in comparison to their expectations. The study found that teachers ranked best in being confident and rational, and they ranked lowest at being inspiring. This really stood out to me because most teachers say they want to inspire their students, but that's what some students stated we're worst at?! It seems that student evaluations can really speak to teachers and provide them with suggestions and comments on how to make improvements. Hopefully we won't get feedback saying we should consider switching careers! I like Johnson's suggestion of included non-graded questions at the end of a test where students can leave feedback about teaching style, suggestions for improvement, and more. If we want to know exactly what our students expect, we need to ask!

Apps and Ideas for Literature Circles

This article caught my eye because I've noticed more and more of my students carrying around Kindles, Nooks, and other e-readers. Diane Darrow, who is a media specialist in California, explains that using e-readers or iPads to help teach reading is a better way to help students comprehend, retain information, and learn new vocabulary (Pierce, 2012). I like the idea of creating student literature circles using e-readers or iPads, pending that type of technology is available to the students. This would be a great way to all students to participate because each student would be given a certain role, such as researcher, vocab enricher, etc. The e-readers are a better way to form lit circles because there are many apps available to help students understand a story. Students can switch from reading the book, to researching an unknown word in the internet, and so on. I really like this idea of incorporating technology into the classroom, however I know I don't have this type of technology available in my school. We do have a few Nooks in the media center, but not enough to run multiple literature circles in the classroom. Maybe in the future!

Resource:
Apps and Ideas for Literature Circles on iPads. Margo Pierce. THE Journal. 5-8-12. Retrieved 5-9-12.

The Most Important Job

In his article, Education: The Single Most Important Job, George Lucas reflects on his past learning experiences and states he was often bored in school. He went on to explain that in another article on Edutopia.org, 8th grade students were asked their opinions on how to make school and lessons more exciting. The responses were similar to one of my previous posts; project-based learning, technology, and teachers who are enthusiastic and caring. Students LOVE technology! That's why we're getting our MA in Ed Tech, right? :) Students need to be able to explore ideas and express their creativity to really engage in their own learning. Lucas (2012) said it best stating, "By creating strong cultures of creativity and curiosity, we can engage students as active participants in their own education, rather than passive recipients of facts and formulas." Students need to actively use their knowledge in order to benefit from new information. Teachers need to shift to the role of facilitator, meaning we need to step back and let students take some control of their own learning.


"There is no other job more important than education. It is the foundation of our democracy. By seizing on what’s working, and recreating those successes from one classroom to the next, we can make it better for everyone" (Lucas, 2012).

Project-Based Learning

How Project-Based Learning Builds 21st Century Skills

Project-Based Learning is a path teachers should start heading towards in order to help students learn to critically think, collaborate and communicate with peers, and incorporate creativity into their assignments. It seems pretty monotonous to teach a lesson and hand out a worksheet for students to practice their skills. Yes, that can be a way to teach but seems to get repetitive and, frankly, boring for students. I've been working with another colleague to create more project-based learning activities for our math students. Currently, we are learning about statistics and graphing. In the past two weeks I think I was asked about five times, "Are we going to use this ever?!" I realize students probably think this about a lot of things they learn in school, but we need to aim towards producing projects, assignments, and activities that allow students to learn in context of the real world. I am starting a statistics project with my students next week where they will have to analyze data, make predictions, work with their peers, evaluate peer work, and more. This will allow students to use their higher order thinking skills and work with their peers to gain 21st century skills.

Also, since technology has been on the rise and students are more into texting their friends who are in the same room instead of having an actual conversation, students need to learn how to effectively communicate and collaborate with their peers. Creating lessons and projects that center around these skills will only help our students in the future. 

Social Apps vs. Games

Smart phones have become very popular among adults and children as Apple and Android come out with new and improved phones often. In the article Social Apps Pass Games for Top Spot on Mobile Devices, written by Dan Rowinski on May 1, 2012, it is said that these phones are mainly used for gaming purposes over the past few years. Games such as Angry Birds, Words with Friends, Draw Something, etc have created a huge buzz among teens for the past years. Lately, however, social networking apps have become popular, surpassing the amount of time spent playing games. I admit that when I first bought my iPhone I sat and played Angry Birds and Words with Friends for hours, it seemed. Now, I notice that I sit and look on Facebook or Pinterest (procrastinating of course) instead of playing games. Most of the top games in the App Store and the Android Market cost a small fee, whereas the social networking apps are free of charge. It was noted in the article that the amount of time spent playing games is not decreasing, but the amount of time spent on social apps is increasing at a faster rate. Being that I am teaching in a middle school right now I hear conversations about my students using Facebook and Twitter and other social networking sites. I realize this is a growing trend for younger students, but makes me nervous about the increase of cyber-bullying. We've talked a lot about bullying at school, so I hope my students are smart about what they do on the Internet!